Experiments with Molasses and Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potato Mac and Cheese

1 Serving (includes 2 servings of vegetables)

 

Pasta of your choice

½ a large sweet potato, cubed very small

2 Tbsp cream cheese, softened

3 tsp white vinegar

Black Pepper

Paprika

Garlic

Basil

Parmesan Cheese

Olive Oil

Onions (and/or other vegetables to top the pasta)

Boil pasta according to instructions. Drain. Set aside.

Boil sweet potatoes until very tender. Drain and smash. Add cream cheese, vinegar, pepper, paprika, garlic, and basil.

Sauté vegetables. Add on top.

Sprinkle Parmesan cheese, as desired.

Baked Latkes

Multiple Servings/Family Size (includes 2 serving of vegetables)

1 medium Sweet Potato

1 large white Potato

1 medium onion, chopped

2 eggs, beated

3 tsp. White Vinegar

1/4 cup Flour

Garlic

Paprika

Black Pepper

Peel and grate potatoes. Place in large bowl. Add onions, eggs, vinegar. Stir well. Add flour and spices.

Pour into well-oiled muffin tins or on a greased baking sheet. If using muffin tins, be careful of crumbling when removing. (I began with the muffin tins, removed the latkes, and resumed baking on a pan).

Bake at 350 degrees until Latkes begin to brown. Top with sour cream, and apple or cranberry sauce.

Ginger Bread Cookies

Multiple Servings/Family Size

2 ½ cups flour
2 tsp. Ginger
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Baking soda
1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
1 stick butter, softened

½ cup Vegetable oil

3/4 cup firmly packed Brown sugar
1/2 cup Molasses
1 egg
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Roasted Almonds

 Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture until well mixed. Roll dough into large ball. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 3-4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Press down each ball with a fork. Add an almond. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown.

Apple Molasses Muffins

Multiple Servings/Family Size (includes 1 serving of fruit)

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

1 cup Whole wheat flour
1 cup  All-purpose flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon

½ tsp. Ginger

¼ tsp. Nutmeg

¼ tsp. Cloves
1 stick Butter, softened
1/2 cup Brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup Molasses
1 cup Buttermilk or 

      2 Tbsp Sour Cream mixed with water to make 1 cup.
2 large apples, cored, and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp. Cinnamon

                                                  
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place 18 paper muffin cups in muffin tins.

Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves, and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat butter and the brown sugar until fluffy. Add the egg, molasses and mix well. Mix in the buttermilk (or sour cream mixture) gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk will cause the mixture to curdle.) Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling with a mixture of granulated sugar and cinnamon. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400°F, and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from muffin tins and cool.

As the weather gets colder, my kitchen gets warmer. . .

Spaghetti Squash has been a staple in my diet these last few weeks. It's so versatile and delicious, and yet somehow I have neglected to post a recipe. Here is a basic marinara for you to enjoy. It can be mixed with regular pasta, but it definitely doesn't need to be.

This granola is a variation on my mom's family famous recipe. If you're like me, mixing cereal is the way to go. I often combine this flavor-filled granola with Cheerios or Shredded Wheat.

And yesterday I go an immense hankering for Potato Leek soup, so I made my way to the store and purchased the desired ingredients. I'm glad I did. It turned out marvelously.

Potato Leek Soup

Multiple Servings/Family Size (includes 3-4 servings of vegetables)

3 tsp. Butter

Garlic

3 Large Leeks, chopped

1 cup ground Turkey

5 Medium Red Potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 Zucchini, chopped

1 Carton of Low Sodium Chicken Broth

Black Pepper

Paprika

Parsley

3 tsp. White Vinegar

In large soup pot, sauté leeks and garlic in a butter. Add ground turkey and zucchini, black pepper and paprika. Stir until vegetables begin to brown. Add potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer for about 30 minutes. Once potatoes are soft, add parsley and vinegar.

 

Granola

Multiple Servings/Family Size (includes 1 serving of fruit)

*Inspired by my mother, Sharon Rediner

3 oz Oil

3 oz Honey

1 tsp. Cinnamon

3 cups Oats

¼ cup Flax Seed, Roasted

½-1 cup Chopped Nuts (I used almonds)

Cranberries or Raisins

Measure out oats, flax seed and nuts into a large bowl. In a small sauce pan, bring oil, honey and cinnamon to a boil. Pour contents of sauce pan over oats, etc, stirring well.

Pour oats, etc. onto a greased edged cookie sheet. Bake at 250 degrees for 45-60 minutes. Half way through, stir to prevent sticking. When done baking, let sit in cookie sheet for 3 hours, or overnight. 

Spaghetti Squash Marinara 

1 Serving (includes 4 servings of vegetables)

Olive Oil

Garlic

Onions, chopped

Mushrooms, chopped

Green beans (frozen or fresh)

Spaghetti Squash, pre-cooked (Click here for instructions)

4 oz Tomato Pasta

3 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Italian Herbs

Black Pepper

Parmesan Cheese

Sauté onions, garlic, mushrooms and green beans in small amount of oil olive. Add spaghetti squash. Cook until vegetables begin to brown. Add tomato paste, water, vinegar and herbs. Continue to heat and stir until well-blended. Top with parmesan cheese.

 

Christmas Cookies and Chili

Two Cookies, One Dough

Yesterday some friends and I made Christmas cookies. We ingeniously invented a wonderful Candy Cane glaze for the regular sugar cookies.  For the second style of cookie, I decided to add some cocoa powder and make two colors for pinwheels!

3 ¾ cups Flour

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1 cup unsalted Butter, softened

1 ½ cup White Sugar

3 Eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Cocoa Powder

Green Sprinkles

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully absorbed into dough. Divide in half. Cover one portion and place in refrigerator to chill for ½ hour-2 hour. Divide the second half in half again. Take the one of the second portion and kneed in cocoa powder. Cover the two dough portions and place in refrigerator to chill.

Sugar Cookies

Once dough is chilled, roll out the plain dough between two sheets of wax paper. Cut with cookie cutters, as desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes.

Candy Cane Glaze

½ cup Powdered Sugar

3 or so Tbsp water

1 Candy Cane, crushed

Mix powdered sugar and water until glaze reaches a soupy consistency. Add crushed candy canes.

Spoon over cooled cookies. Allow to set for about 1 hour. Add green sprinkles if desired.

Pinwheel Cookies

Now take the second two portions of dough. Divide each section in half. Roll out each portion between two pieces of wax paper. Layer on top of each other, every other color. With a sharp knife, cut away a two-inch strip. Roll the dough into a log. Slowly cut ¼-inch circles from log. Place on greased baking sheet. Repeat until dough is gone.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Half way through, add sprinkles, if desired.

Vegetable and Bean Chili

If you remember, my old soup pot bit the dust. So I was on the hunt for a new one. I found this beauty last week at Home Goods. For its inauguration, I decided to make some chili.

Olive Oil

Garlic

1 Purple Onion, chopped

1 Zucchini, chopped

1 Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed

6 or some Mushrooms, chopped

1 can Low Sodium Black Beans

1 can Low Sodium Kidney Beans

1 can of Low Sodium Diced Tomatoes

1 can Low Sodium Chicken Broth, or 8 oz homemade broth

1 can Tomato Paste

½ tsp. Cumin

½ tsp. Cinnamon

2 tsp. Cocoa Powder

Chili Powder (to taste, but at least 2 Tbsp)

Paprika (to taste)

Italian Spices

Black Pepper

3 tsp. White Vinegar

Sauté onions, mushrooms and garlic in olive oil. Add sweet potatoes and zucchini. Cook until vegetables begin to tender. Add the rest of the ingredients except vinegar and bring to a boil. Simmer until sweet potatoes are soft. Then add vinegar.